flipSaffron and Verjuice Capon Broth
Saffron and Verjuice Capon Broth
Why this dish? Even a king eats daily: the broth, a sort of clear stew thickened with bread and gilded with saffron, was the refined everyday fare of great households. At the itinerant court of Francis I, these nourishing pottages opened most meals.
Pieces of poultry simmered in a saffron-golden broth, sharpened with verjuice and thickened with breadcrumbs. Comforting, fragrant, golden like an illuminated manuscript.
Do not think that a king feeds only on gilded peacocks! On the morning of a council day, nothing suits me better than this capon broth, as yellow with saffron as the gold of a book of hours. It is thickened with breadcrumbs, sharpened with a little verjuice, and served to me steaming. Dip your bread in it, friend, and taste what my cooks could make that was simplest — and yet most royal.
- •Capon or hen — one poultry, cut up (meat of the broth)
- •Poultry broth — to cover (liquid base)
- •Saffron — a few threads (royal color and perfume)
- •Ground ginger — a pinch (spicy warmth)
- •Stale breadcrumbs — a handful (thickening)
- •Verjuice — a good dash (acidity)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Saffron and Verjuice Capon Broth
Pieces of poultry simmered in a saffron-golden broth, sharpened with verjuice and thickened with breadcrumbs. Comforting, fragrant, golden like an illuminated manuscript.
Why this dish? Even a king eats daily: the broth, a sort of clear stew thickened with bread and gilded with saffron, was the refined everyday fare of great households. At the itinerant court of Francis I, these nourishing pottages opened most meals.
Do not think that a king feeds only on gilded peacocks! On the morning of a council day, nothing suits me better than this capon broth, as yellow with saffron as the gold of a book of hours. It is thickened with breadcrumbs, sharpened with a little verjuice, and served to me steaming. Dip your bread in it, friend, and taste what my cooks could make that was simplest — and yet most royal.
Ingredients (period version)
- Capon or hen — one poultry, cut up (meat of the broth)
- Poultry broth — to cover (liquid base)
- Saffron — a few threads (royal color and perfume)
- Ground ginger — a pinch (spicy warmth)
- Stale breadcrumbs — a handful (thickening)
- Verjuice — a good dash (acidity)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs and breasts (free-range) — 600 g (meat)
- Chicken broth — 1 litre (base)
- Saffron — 1 generous pinch (15-20 threads) (color and perfume)
- Ground ginger — 1/2 tsp (spice)
- Stale breadcrumbs — 50 g (thickening)
- Verjuice (or green grape juice / a little lemon juice if unavailable) — 4 cl (acidity)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Infuse the saffron in a little warm broth for 10 minutes.
- Poach the chicken pieces in the broth with the ginger, at a simmer, for 25 minutes. Salt.
- Blend the breadcrumbs with a ladle of broth, return to the pot to thicken.
- Add the saffron broth and verjuice, adjust acidity and salt. Simmer another 5 minutes.
- Serve very hot with bread for dipping.
How it was made : Medieval and Renaissance cuisine thickened its sauces with bread (not with butter and flour, a later technique). Saffron, both a colorant and a marker of luxury, gave broths that sought-after golden hue. Verjuice replaced lemon, which was still rare and expensive.
The contemporary twist : Serve in individual small bowls with a garlic-rubbed crouton and a few saffron threads on the surface for visual appeal.
Sources : Le Viandier de Taillevent · Le Ménagier de Paris (c. 1393)
Francis I · Charactorium
